Medical Assistant Major Gloucester MA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant Training School near Gloucester Massachusetts

Gloucester MA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to enter the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Gloucester MA, it’s time to select a college that will provide the right training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the right one? Many prospective students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important factors as well. You may decide to take a look at a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more on that later). The main point is that before you select a program you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the schools you are examining. And to assist you with that task, we have furnished a few questions that you need to ask all of the schools on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are offered.

The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Gloucester MA nursing home patient The function of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Primarily their duty is ensure that the Gloucester MA clinics, hospitals and other healthcare facilities where they work run successfully. Depending on the type or size of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for giving direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other medical practitioners but may also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. Some of the potential duties of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Supplying general support during exams and procedures

Although medical assistants can carry out almost any task they are authorized to under Massachusetts law, some opt to specialize in a specific area and attain certification. Two of the options available are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) made available by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Programs

Compared to most other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, many Gloucester MA health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are generally 2 choices offered for a formal education. The first and fastest route to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about 1 year to finish, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs offered at community and junior colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a practical element involving an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Gloucester MA There are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are a good alternative for those who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good choice for students who continue working full-time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, some online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Supplemental costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be lessened also. Just keep in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be carried out in Gloucester MA area health care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to getting your education may be the best choice for you. Between the online lessons and the practical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good choice for those who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in getting a job after graduation, but it might also help with initial salary negotiations. Some potential Gloucester MA medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. One of the most popular and perhaps the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to apply for the CMA examination, a candidate must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered as well, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Gloucester MA medical assistant programs Prior to reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to choose which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online at home. After those selections have been made, you can start the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, many prospective students confine their searches to the schools that are nearest to Gloucester MA with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are several additional issues that you need to examine when researching programs. To help you with that task, below are a few questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are several good reasons to make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the approved agencies for accreditation are the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). If your school is not accredited by either of these agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, a number of prospective Gloucester MA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passage Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you need to determine which of the certifications the schools you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will need to enroll in a program concentrating on that certification. Next, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is one of the ways to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Obviously programs with lower rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we previously covered, there are generally two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can choose a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is closer to one year. Or you can opt to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take about two years to complete in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you decide to enroll in, make certain that the schools you are looking at offer the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Sponsored? Many medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Gloucester MA area healthcare providers. They are an excellent way to obtain hands-on practical training and experience. They may also assist students build relationships within the Gloucester medical community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Support Furnished? Getting that very first job may be a challenging task for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Gloucester MA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indicator of how much individual attention you will receive throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to attend a few classes before enrolling in a school to observe what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work full time, it’s imperative that the school you enroll in provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Gloucester MA, confirm that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will still have to schedule any internships or clinical training that will be required. Additionally, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Gloucester Massachusetts?

If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Gloucester MA area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.

Gloucester, Massachusetts

Gloucester /ˈɡlɒstər/ is a city on Cape Ann in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is part of Massachusetts' North Shore. The population was 28,789 at the 2010 U.S. Census.[2] An important center of the fishing industry and a popular summer destination, Gloucester consists of an urban core on the north side of the harbor and the outlying neighborhoods of Annisquam, Bay View, Lanesville, Folly Cove, Magnolia, Riverdale, East Gloucester, and West Gloucester.

The boundaries of Gloucester originally included the town of Rockport, in an area dubbed "Sandy Bay". That village separated formally on February 27, 1840. In 1873, Gloucester was reincorporated as a city.

Gloucester was founded at Cape Ann by an expedition called the "Dorchester Company" of men from Dorchester (in the county of Dorset, England) chartered by James I in 1623. It was one of the first English settlements in what would become the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and predates both Salem in 1626 and Boston in 1630. The first company of pioneers made landing at Half Moon Beach and settled nearby, setting up fishing stages in a field in what is now Stage Fort Park. This settlement's existence is proclaimed today by a memorial tablet, affixed to a 50-foot (15 m) boulder in that park.

Select the Ideal Medical Assistant Course Gloucester MA

Gloucester MA medical assistant student It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant school that will furnish the proper training. Whether you’re goal is to begin a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must obtain the right info on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of schools offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, make sure that the program you decide on is accredited by a recognized agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Major. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure to ask the questions we have provided so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the right program you can subsequently start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Gloucester MA.